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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28013220">A Pair of Doves</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hinaga_Moizaf/pseuds/Hinaga_Moizaf'>Hinaga_Moizaf</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DARLING In The FRANXX (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Mythology, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Birds, F/M, Mitsukoko, Mutual Pining, Mythology - Freeform, Secret Crush, Slow Burn, Urban Fantasy, Wings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:00:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,428</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28013220</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hinaga_Moizaf/pseuds/Hinaga_Moizaf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by redluxite’s (Twitter) Trope Bingo<br/>S/O to moonwheat1999 (Instagram) for suggesting B5 : THEY HAVE WINGS</p><p> </p><p>TW : Reference to substance abuse and depressive episode</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kokoro | 556/Mitsuru | 326</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Pair of Doves</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>[Mitsuru’s perspective, his room. Morning.]</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The injured dove flaps its featherless wings, going mad in its cage, this is my wake up call.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Running a calloused hand through my hair, I sluggishly get up, pulling the curtains apart and letting the morning light shine upon the dove. It tilts its head at me, jumping in its place as I reach it to give it a pet. The dove no bigger than the palm of my hand nuzzles up against me, I give it a weak smile before pouring in its breakfast. While it eats, my eyes finally adjust to my room, scratched up papers and half-empty bottles scattered about like it’s a pub on a Saturday night. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Damn</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I made a real mess last night. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>(An hour later, school grounds.)</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who’s this little guy?” my loud, pink-haired classmate asks rhetorically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Between all of us, I’d say it's a miracle it landed in your hands,” the smallest, blue-haired one compliments.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Girls, please, could have happened to any of us. I’m just lucky my mum’s a vet,” Kokoro-san says bashfully. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she’s the only one I bother remembering the name of.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I didn’t mean to listen in, but on my way to homeroom, I noticed a group of my classmates gathered by a tree. It’s not unusual for the girls to be chatting this early, but something about their conversation caught my interest. The loud, pink-haired one pokes at something at Kokoro-san’s hands; the small, blue-haired one scolding her friend. Kokoro-san laughs it off, I finally get a better look of what she is holding; and my heart </span>
  <em>
    <span>stops</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Held within the palm of her tiny hands is an even tinier bird, not just any old bird, a damn </span>
  <em>
    <span>dove</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It could have been any type of dove too, coming from God knows where; but I bloody swear. The dove Kokoro-san’s holding is </span>
  <em>
    <span>identical</span>
  </em>
  <span> to the one I’m nursing at home, down to </span>
  <em>
    <span>the lack of feathers</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Something forms in my throat, my hands start to tremble. Maybe I’ve been staring for too long,because she looks my way, and smiles politely. I quickly avert my gaze, realising my heart starts to pound like a jackhammer, her expression appearing...crestfallen? Why would Kokoro-san look so sad?</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>I clutch onto my bag and continue on, occasionally stealing glances back at her and her dove. A sudden headache forms, starting from the front of my head until it reaches all the way to my neck. Okay, I didn’t forget to take my medication, but I did skip out on breakfast. In fact, I’ve been skipping out on a lot of meals too. The sleep schedule’s been absolutely horrendous too, but it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before. Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span>?</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>I take one last look at Kokoro-san before she’s completely out of sight. Wait a minute, that can’t be right. Maybe I did eat something, maybe my old man mixed up one of his green joints with our regular food in the pantry; because what I’m seeing is like something from an acid trip.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kokoro-san has one wing sprouting out of her back, and she’s looking at me equally puzzled</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>(A few hours later, afterschool)</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“M-Mitsuru-kun,” a familiar, sweet voice calls out to me long after everyone has gone home. Most of my classmates hardly approach me, even the teaching staff find it hard to strike up a conversation with me. So naturally, it came as a surprise when the sweetest girl in class is talking to me one-on-one.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Kokoro-san?” I call back, getting up, what the hell is that kind of reaction?</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She fidgets, eyes shifting side to side, a blush forming on her face. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“...how are you?” she begins hesitantly, trying to break the ice. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Been good, been well,” I avert my gaze as a futile attempt to hide my own blush, this isn’t like me. “Yourself?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I-I’ve been okay too,” Kokoro-san takes in a deep breath, she’s trying to say something else. I feel her eyes on me, and I finally look back...dear God, it’s like looking back at </span>
  <em>
    <span>an ocean of sapphires</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Except that...I’ve been getting these headaches whenever I look at </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>I can’t help but simply stare back, in disbelief, in awe. Kokoro-san’s face turns pink and she waves her hands about, shutting her eyes.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I-I didn’t mean that in a bad way!” opening her sapphire eyes, she nervously looks around, before going back to me. Before keeping me mesmerised once more, “I’ve been watching you for a while now, Mitsuru-kun, even before the headaches...and the dove.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s it</span>
  </em>
  <span>, that’s the confirmation I need. That I’m not crazy or it’s some coincidence her dove from this morning looks identical to mine.I let her talk first, a shy but earnest smile forming her lips.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’ve always been worried about you, Mitsuru-kun,” Kokoro-san confesses timidly, “I’ve seen the amount of times you’d go to the nurse’s office, and my mum’s told me stories about your...family situation.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She’s trying her best to approach that topic as delicately as possible, but it’s not where this conversation was going.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“But I’ve also seen you in class, your grades are so amazing. I-I think you’re really cool and-”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Kokoro-san,” I didn’t mean to interrupt her, but I have to get this out of my chest, “Just this morning, I got a headache looking at you too. I don’t know about you, when I did...it looked like you had one wing sprouting out of your back.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Her beautiful, sapphire eyes widening and she clasps her mouth. I bite my lip, unsure of what to do, not even confident if I should reach out or anything. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I had the same vision too…,” she adds, officially confirming our situation. I shove my hands into my school pants, vainly lifting my head, but also to give myself a boost of confidence to share my next words.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I have an injured dove too, could I take it to your mother’s pet clinic to have him checked?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>From there, we didn’t necessarily walk home together, but we did leave the school together. I told her to go back first, so I could go back to mine, and she wouldn’t have to look at my place. All I have to do is pick up the dove and head back out, so that’s exactly what I did. I didn’t bother to see if my old man was around, I didn’t even want to think about the mess that was waiting for me. I was so excited that I had somewhere else to be after the bell rang.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Technically speaking, I was so euphoric at the reality that Kokoro-san would be waiting for me.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Getting to the pet clinic wasn’t that much of an issue, it’s the only one in this smalltown. The night starts to creep in as I find her waiting by the entrance, she enthusiastically waves at me. I simply nod, and that crestfallen expression returns on her face. But she’s quick to smile again, gesturing for me to follow her in. Jesus, why do I have to be such an asshole?</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“How long have you had him?” she asks, clearly about the dove. I look back at him, pecking away in his cage.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Just a couple of weeks,” I respond, thinking on the top of my head, “He literally just flew into my bedroom window, the dove was an absolute mess.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The hallway starts to become more narrow as we approach her mother’s office. I’m becoming all too aware of Kokoro-san’s fruity shampoo and a whiff of her perfume escaping her uniform. She’s not exactly built like an Amazon woman from those myths, but she appears so tiny now. So delicate, I could scoop her up in my arms and she’d probably weigh as much as a feather.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Kokoro-san knocks first on the door, before an older woman’s voice calls us in. I have to shield my eyes from the overhanging lights as another enthusiastic figure welcomes me.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Mitsuru, right?” her mother asks, but clearly she knows she. She knows about my old man, of course she knows who I am too. I shouldn’t be surprised, but she and Kokoro-san could pass as sisters; albeit with a big age gap.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Y-yes, ma’am,” it’s my turn to be nervous, as Kokoro-san takes the cage from my hand and places it on the examination table, cooing at the dove inside to calm him down.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Don’t worry, I don’t bite,” she winks at me, getting a closer look at the dove, “Just here to give your little friend an inspection, see what I can do.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’d really appreciate that.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Well, you’ve done a pretty good job so far,” her mother shines a flashlight at the dove, sticking her hand into the cage, giving it her undivided attention, “Kokoro, why don’t you show your boyfriend to the backroom? We’ve got snacks and tea if you’re hungry, Mitsuru.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>My classmate lets out a noise I’ve never heard escape from her mouth before, but it’s definitely one of embarrassment. I have to focus on something else before Kokoro-san’s mother chuckles, gesturing at us to leave. Kokoro-san looks like she wants to protest, before swiftly walking out, I follow after her and thank her mother once more. Shutting the door behind me, she looks at me flustered.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I-I’m sorry about her, I don’t know what she’s talking about,” she squeaks out, heading into the direction of the said backroom.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“...don’t be,” I shove my hands into my pockets once more, fiddling with the fabric, “I know she was just joking, and I did come here last minute.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“But we’re more than happy to have you-!” Kokoro-san whips her head at me, taking me aback, before she turns a shade of light pink again, “I-I didn’t mean to-”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>I put my hands up, and we left it there.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Entering the backroom, I’m all too aware of how it smells like Kokoro-san. Her shampoo, her perfume, </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Looking around, it does have the aesthetic and feel of being ‘homey’; a stark contrast to the more formal pet clinic. There’s a worn out couch, a mini fridge, some bookshelves half filled with files and the other half with picture books, as well as-</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“-two vanities?” I ask out loud, realising I meant to keep it inside. I glance over at Kokoro-san, trying to tell her I didn’t mean to pry, but she chuckles.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I know it’s rather odd,” she walks towards one, running her fingers along the wooden surface. The vanities are placed on opposite sides of the room, but facing each other, mirrors reflected in the other.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Long before she had me, mum had plans to become a dancer. Before this place was a proper pet clinic, she originally rented it out as a dance studio. Well, as much as one could make of it,”Kokoro-san begins, and I don’t mind being lost in her words. Being lost in her stories, I could listen to her voice all day if I could.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“But at the end of the day, she had to do something more ‘realistic’. Mum had a soft spot for animals, and she studied real hard to get into university. She still owned this place, and her lover encouraged her to turn it into a pet clinic,” she settles down on one vanity, gracefully sitting on it. I take the other one, leaning against it and watch her; Kokoro-san’s expression is so dreamy when she talks about her mother’s past.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Your father sounds like a great man,” I comment, smiling at her, and she looks </span>
  <em>
    <span>directly</span>
  </em>
  <span> at me.Shoot, shoot, did I offend her? </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oh, it wasn’t my dad who encouraged her,” oh thank God it’s about something else, “No, my parents weren’t dating back then. I don’t know who he is, but my mum mentioned her ex had ‘vert paon’ eyes.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She continues to look at me, but now with curiosity as she tilts her head, “That’s basically a piercing shade of deep green, kind of like-”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“-</span>
  <em>
    <span>mine</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” I finish off, trying to hide my fascination, but it’s no use. I try to laugh it off, try to act cool, “Can’t imagine your mother being with a deadbeat like my old man. He’s too-”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“-troubled?” it’s her turn to finish my sentence, “Mitsuru-kun, I know it’s not my place, and I definitely can’t change your opinion about your father,” Kokoro-san takes a gulp, looking me straight in the eye, “But I can about </span>
  <em>
    <span>yourself</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“What are you…”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>I hear a zipper being undone, and flinch at the reflection of her hand on her uniform’s back, Kokoro-san’s pale skin catching my entire attention. She doesn’t pull it down the entire way, just enough to see a sliver of her bare back, enough for her to pull her arm out of one sleeve. Kokoro-san clutches onto her chest, a blush forming, she looks like she’s just about to stare at the ground - but she looks back at me.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I know this is going to be hard to believe, but those wings sprouting from our backs...</span>
  <em>
    <span>they’re real</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>With a shaky hand, she pulls aside her ashen-blonde hair to reveal a secret on her body. I subconsciously place a hand over my own back, letting the image of Kokoro-san’s back sink in. On one side of her back, the skin stretches, something is emerging from it. From this distance, even with the mirror reflecting her, I can’t quite pinpoint what it is. But it’s not something most people have, it’s not anything anyone has, nothing within the realm of science and medicine can explain it. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Kokoro-san,” I finally say her name out loud after repeating it so many times to myself, “Could you be a dear, and check my back for me?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>I don’t know what overcame me, and I’m starting to wish I didn’t say anything at all. I watch her for  a sign, anything thinking of taking back my words...her eyes soften and she gives me a kind smile.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You’re afraid too, you’re afraid to check. I understand,” she begins, loosening her grip on her clothes and making her way towards me. I stand up straighter as my heart pounds so loud, there’s a ringing in my ear.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“But you went through this alone,” I comment back, slowly unzipping the top of my uniform.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“True, I was in the beginning, but now,” Kokoro-san stops just a heartbeat away from me, just as I’m showing my back to her, “Now, I have you, and together - </span>
  <em>
    <span>we have wings</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don’t think I did that great of a job setting up the atmosphere and buildup, descriptions etc<br/>Don’t get me wrong, I was super excited to work on this MitsuKoko fic, especially since I’ve only written poems about them before. But that excitement is also a double edged sword, cause I have a lot of things cooking up in my brain juices; so when it came down to actually writing it out I just could not keep up. <br/>Like I was getting things out, but it wasn’t all the things.</p><p>There’s a fine line of what’s mysterious, and what’s straight up opening boxes one doesn’t have the intention of closing.<br/>Basically I’m making up my own lore with this fic, and while it defo works as a oneshot,<br/>I can totally see myself visiting it in the future, touching on SO many aspects</p></blockquote></div></div>
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